Self-closing elevator-door



(No Model.) I

T.. M..OLARK.

SELF CLOSING BLBVATOR DOOR. No. 253,345. Patented Feb. 7.1882.

Tg1 di f l f E o a7 J(- 'a y :70 a Z R\ V & 7 L

WITNBSSES: INVBNTOR:

d /W' I 'BY fa/WW ff, l ATTORNEYS.

ETERS. mom-mhplnpmr, wuhinglc. 0.6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE M. CLARK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SELF-CLOSING ELEVATOR-DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,345, dated February 7, 1882,

Application filed November 1, 1881.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TnEoDoRE M. CLARK, of Boston, Suffol k county-',Massa-chusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Closing Elevator-Doors, of which the following is a full, c lear, and exac't description.

My invention relates to the doors of elevator-shafts, and has for its object to combine with self-closing doors automatically-acted devices for retaining each door open during the time the car or platform is stopped at such door.

The invention consists in combining a pivoted latch-bar and 4a bow-spring on the doorframe with a door having a stud and an elevator-platform having-a lug, as hereinafter described. l

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a sectional elevation, showing one side ofa shaft with the door and elevatorplatform provided with the improved devices.v Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the latch in its normal position. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the parts in the position of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 shows the parts of the latch separately.

A is one side wall of the shaft, constructed of either brick or wood, and provided with the usual door-opening.

B is the door, supported upon or suspended from a track which is slightly inclined, so that the door shall close by gravity when not held open.

C is the elevator-platform.

At one side of the door-opening is a latchbar, a, hung on a pivot, b, its inner end projectin'g into the shaft, and its outer end bent or formed, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4t, with a beveled ange, a', that extends between the wall and the door. 0n the inner side of the wall is a plate or strip, c, of spring metal, attached rigidly by one end and engaging by a slot in its free end the inner end of latch nl.

(Nomodel.)

The spring c is retained in connection with the latch by an eye, d, and is of bow form, so that its middle portion extends into the shaft a sufcient distance for contact with a frictionroller, e, that is attached in a lug or projection of the platform O. On the door is a pin or stud,f, in position for engaging the flange a' ot' the latch-bar when the latter is released.

The operation is as follows: In the normal position shown in Fig. 2 the latch-bar is retained upward by the spring c, and the door can be opened from the door side, as is often desired. The door is pulled back before the latch is thrown into locked position, so that when the platform reaches the floor the spring `is flattened by friction-roll e, the latch tilted,

and the stud f, located behind the latch end u', holds the door open.- On an up or down movement of the elevator the spring is released, thc latch tilted, and the door allowed to be closed by gravity.

This device is simple and efficient. It allows the use of self-closing doors withoutv its being necessary for the elevator attendant to hold them open.

It is evident that the details of construction can be somewhat diii'erent from those shown and described 'without departing from the spirit of my invention. Air eccentric may be substituted for the spring for lifting the latch,

varied as most convenient.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The pivotcd latch-bar a and bowed spring `575 and the location and shape of the latch-bar c, combined with door B, having stud j', and

platform O, having a lug or projection for contact with the spring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ALFRED L. DAREow, EDGAR C. CURTIS. 

